Trust in Love
by kerrbear7
Summary: Jay has broken Emma's heart. Can she ever let him back into her life? How do you trust in love when it's broken you once before?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi...**

**Okay, so here's a new story for all of you Jemma lovers! Things may be a little confusing, but background information will be given throughout the story. Enjoy!**

"Em! Emma, wait!"

She turned around, blond tresses whipping wildly around her red face. She gave him a spiteful, disgusted look that he thought she was incapable of expressing. "Not for the likes of you!"

Manny sat back on her haunches, watching as Jay frantically pulled on his pants, wrapping her lean body in the sheet from the bed she was upon. "She's never going to listen to you."

Jay threw his shirt on, bending to grab his shoes hurriedly. He looked over his shoulder at Manny. "I have to try."

Jay ran after Emma, avoiding the stares of the others at the party. His head felt foggy and his vision was slightly blurred, but he kept running, until he was in view of Emma, reaching out to take her by the arm.

"Will you just wait a second?"

Emma turned, facing Jay, her face streaked with the hot tears that flooded from her red eyes. "For what?"

Jay reached out a hand, trying to wipe away her tears, but Emma flinched and moved away. "Don't touch me!" she yelled. "Don't you ever touch me again!"

Jay took a deep breath, surprised at Emma's outburst. Even when they were having a fight, something quite typical for their often tumultuous relationship, she'd never lost control like this. He struggled to find the words to make this all go away, but nothing that came to mind seemed to hold the magic power to smooth this one over.

Emma tried to steady her breathing and laughed harshly. "You want me to wait for this? Nice!"

"I don't know what to say. I don't remember anything about tonight, until I saw you standing at that door. I don't know what happened!" he pleaded.

"Well I do!" she screamed in his face. "You fucked my best friend and you lost me!"

Jay watched Emma walk away and knew to follow her would be fruitless. He sank to his knees, allowing the weakness he felt to overcome him, as he sat on the sidewalk. Tears sprang to his eyes at the realization that he had messed up the best thing he'd ever had...

**Please keep reading and respond! Criticisms are always welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Degrassi, but I don't :(**

"Emma, you look great!" Spike commented, brushing a strand of Emma's newly coiffed hair out of her face. The short, straightened style looked good on Emma and gave her a sophisticated edge that made Spike want to hold her and never let her go. The fact that her baby was now a young woman, made Spike want to cry.

Emma smiled at her mother and gave her small frame a tight squeeze. "I like what you've done with the place," she commented, walking around the foreign space. "You must have put Snake to work every weekend."

Spike shrugged. "The salon had a good year so we decided to give the place a few minor improvements. We didn't touch your space though. That's exactly how you left it nine months ago."

Emma nodded her head. Snake and Jack came bounding through the back door, offering hugs and hellos to the returned member of their family. After all the small talk Emma could handle, she excused herself and let Snake help her carry her bags down to her room.

"You know your mom wanted to add on to the back of the house?" Snake asked. When Emma shook her head, he continued. "She thought you might like a main floor room. But seeing as how you come home so rarely now, we thought against it."

Emma sat down on her bed, immersed in the familiarity of her surroundings, and wondering why she suddenly felt so overwhelmed. She smiled up at Snake and offered, "I'm really sorry. Getting away for university has been something I really needed."

"I get that, Em. I also get that coming home for some holidays is good too."

Emma stood and gave her step-dad a big hug. "I'll do better next year, I promise. And just think, you have me for the next four months! You'll be wishing I'll leave by the end of the summer!"

"Never gonna happen, Emmalatta," he smiled, calling her by one of their pet names. "Um, I should warn you about something though."

Emma raised an eyebrow, just as the front doorbell rang. She put her index finger in the air and said, "Save that thought! I ran into Liberty at the gas station on my way home and told her to stop by. That's probably her."

Emma put on a light jog to the front door, grabbing the knob and turning. Emma had been excited to see Liberty and was interested in catching up with one of her oldest and closest friends. But it wasn't Liberty standing there. It was the last person she expected to see at her front door...

**R&R!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: If I did own Degrassi, I'd make Jay and Emma the hottest couple!! (But I don't...)**

"Emma?" he questioned, surprised to see her. "You're home?"

She gripped the door handle until her knuckles turned a shade of white. Trying to gain her composure, she swallowed and said, "I live here. What the hell do you want?"

Jay smirked and Emma fought the urge to deck him. He knew what that smirk did to her and she cursed herself for having told him that very personal confession. Damn pillow talk!

"I'm doing some work on Snake's car. He told me to come by today and pick up the keys," Jay explained. He leaned against the door frame, still smiling. "You look good."

"I'd say the same, but I'm not a liar. You look like shit!" she swore.

Jay nodded his head, smile still playing on his lips, but without its sarcastic edge. "So that's how it's gonna be, huh?"

"You were expecting hugs and kisses?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I'd be willing to skip out on the hugs if we can move right along to the kisses?"

She sighed heavily, wanting to slam the door in his smug face. The truth was, Jay Hogart didn't look like shit at all. He looked wonderful and sexier than ever. His black hat was still present, along with the black t-shirt and jeans, but he was more muscled, well toned, and looked almost tanned. Emma thought back to better days when Jay had been her everything and all she had wanted was to be his. So much had changed.

"Cut the crap!" she warned.

"Okay, so how about some truth?" he asked. He didn't wait for her response. "The hair looks really nice. Smokin' actually."

She wanted to smile back at him, but fought back the urge, knowing it would open the door to something she'd be powerless to control. Instead, she frowned. "Broke out the big guns there."

"University's been good I take it?" he asked, ignoring her comment.

She nodded. "University has been super! My classes are great and I've made a ton of friends! But the guys! Oh, the guys! If my dorm room walls could talk..."

She knew she hit a nerve when she saw Jay's face tighten. So he still cared.

"Something wrong?" she asked. "Don't like hearing about me and other guys?"

Jay pushed himself off the door frame and stood straighter. "Not my most favourite subject."

Emma leaned forward, until she was inches from Jay's face and whispered, "At least you didn't have to see it."

Jay swallowed the growing lump in his throat, knowing that Emma had won this round. There was nothing he could say in response that would get him anywhere, so he chose to remain quiet, while Emma called for Snake and then disappeared up the stairs...

**R&R!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi...**

"You didn't warn her, did you?" Jay asked, annoyance evident in his deep voice, as he opened the hood of Snake's car.

Snake shrugged. "I was just about to, but you came early. How hard was she?"

Jay gave him a knowing look before slamming the hood down, causing Snake to jump. "It was to be expected. Okay, well it shouldn't take much longer than a week. I'll take it today and let you know how things are going."

Snake nodded his head, shaking Jay's outstretched, calloused hand. The boy had done relatively well for himself, given that he had been expelled from Degrassi and never graduated. And Snake hated to admit it, but he actually found himself missing Jay's presence around the house as much as he missed Emma's.

FLASHBACK

"_Jay and I are dating," Emma announced, her chin stuck out, daring anyone to fight her on the issue._

_Snake's mouth hung open in disbelief. Emma, his Emma, his little girl, wanted to date Jay Hogart? Had he heard her correctly?_

"_Go ahead and tell me I'm crazy, but it doesn't matter. I like him and he's good to me. He's different from what you think, Dad," she told him._

END OF FLASHBACK

She had surprised everyone with her curt announcement, but Snake had to confess that Jay had proved all of his sinister suspicions wrong. Jay had been good to Emma, for months. And then, just when Snake liked the male to female ratio in his household being in his favour, Emma cut Jay out of her life. Other than the odd time Snake's crappy car would break down, he rarely ever saw Jay. And, both Jay and Emma were tight-lipped on the reason for their split.

"Mr. Simpson?" Jay asked, cutting into Snake's thoughts. "Um, can I have the keys now?"

Snake smiled, shaking his head free of his memories. "How are you planning to get both my car and your's back to the shop?"

Jay looked back over his shoulder at his orange car. "Dammit!" he cursed under his breath. "I have no brain today. Some people may argue that I don't have a brain most days, but..."

Snake knew that Jay was babbling out of nervousness and probably distraction. Seeing Emma, what with her utter disappearance and dramatic new look, had possibly shaken Jay more than even he realized. Snake tried to hide his smile, offering, "I can have Emma drive my car to the shop and you can just drive her back here."

"Emma?"

"Yeah. I'd go myself, but I gotta take car of Jack. Spike's going to work soon," he lied. "I'll send Emma out."

Jay turned back to lean against the side of Snake's car. _Great!_ _Now I have to be around Emma while I drive her back home. This is torture! Sweet, perfect, awesome torture! _Jay smiled widely. _Snake, you bastard, you are my new best friend!_

**Hope you enjoyed the first four chapters! I'll update soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi...**

**Thanks for the awesome reviews! It's great to know that there are people out there actually waiting for my stories! I wait for yours too! Let's keep the creative juices flowing!**

"What are you trying to do?" Spike asked, slugging her husband in the arm, as he stood at their large picture window, watching the tense scene unfold before him.

"Do?" he asked, playing dumb, but not taking his eyes from the view.

Spike sighed, grabbed Snake by the same arm she had just assaulted, and dragged him away. She brought him to their small dining table, knowing that it was far enough away from the window that he'd be unable to see Emma and Jay from there. Snake gave his wife an annoyed look as he sat down reluctantly.

"Emma doesn't need this her first day back," Spike warned. She sat down heavily and sighed. "If you pressure her to talk to Jay, you'll just end up driving her away."

Snake cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you said you didn't know what happened between them?"

"I don't! I just know Emma. She can be stubborn. Obviously, she doesn't want us to know the details of her breakup with Jay. Whatever happened it must have been huge for her to dodge her friends and family for nine whole months!"

Snake knew that Spike was speaking the truth, but he still wanted to know just what happened to make Emma have so much hostility toward Jay and for Jay to be so nervous just to be around Emma. At the very least, Snake wanted them to talk.

"Is this about Jay?" Spike asked, an amused look appearing on her face. She broke into laughter. "You miss him more than Emma does!"

Snake shook his head, knowing that it was the truth. Spike continued to laugh at him, as she got up from the table and walked out of the room. He rolled his eyes and tapped his finger nervously on the table, waiting until he heard Spike's footsteps on the stairs. He dashed to the window to see if Emma and Jay were still standing out there, probably exchanging harsh words dripping with sarcasm, and disgusted looks that masked their true attraction.

But, unfortunately, the street in front of the row house, was empty. They were gone. Snake smiled, hoping he was right about this and that it wouldn't end up backfiring.

**Sorry for the short chapter, but the next one is much longer and all Jemma!! Hope you enjoy!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi...**

Emma knew that she was being set up when Snake asked her if she would drive his car to Jay's shop. As she drove toward Jay's place of employment, slowly so as not to cause further problems with the constantly ailing car, she worried over the impending drive back to her house, in Jay's Civic. If only that car could talk. On second thought, thank God it can't!

FLASHBACK

"_For a small car, it sure has a roomy enough back seat," Emma joked, trying to lighten the mood that had become thick with sexual tension._

_Jay smiled, not his usual smirk, but a large, sincere smile, one of the first he had ever bestowed on Emma. It was such a wonderful gesture, and Jay didn't even realize the effect it had on the woman lying beneath him._

_They'd been in plenty of 'almost' situations over the past few weeks, but nothing this close. Emma took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and parted her lips slightly. She waited for Jay's lips to meet with hers in a cataclysmic explosion; the effect they always had. But after what seemed like forever, Emma opened her eyes._

_Jay was staring down at her, his face serious. She gave him a worried look, afraid that everything she'd been falling into was about to disappear._

"_What's wrong?" she asked, breathless._

_Jay leaned forward, placing his hands on Emma's cheeks, staring deep into her eyes. "This is wrong."_

"_This? Us?"_

_Jay watched her face and knew that panic was setting in. He smiled at her innocence. "Our first time together. It shouldn't be like this. It shouldn't be in the back seat of my crappy car. It should be...I don't know...special...or whatever."_

END OF FLASHBACK

Emma shook her head as she parked Snake's car in the lot, where Jay had pointed. She gripped the steering wheel, forcing her memories away, telling herself that Jay had no hold on her anymore; that she could be oblivious to everything that had once appealed to her.

When she finally came back to Earth, she saw that Jay was staring at her and she realized that she was sitting in Snake's idle car, looking off into dead space.

He sauntered over to the car and knocked on the window. Emma unrolled it. "You okay?" he asked.

_No, I'm not. I was just remembering the night you told me you wanted out first time together to be special. Do you remember that?_ But Emma couldn't reveal her true emotions to the man who had broken her heart. Instead, she replied, "I'm fine!"

Jay backed up, hands in the surrender position, stepping away from her as if she was holding a loaded weapon and aiming it right at him. "Sorry I asked," he muttered.

Emma got out of the car, shutting the door slowly behind her. She had timed the trip and it had taken almost twenty minutes! Twenty minutes in the car with Jay? Disaster was bound to occur.

When Jay got to his Civic, he turned to make sure Emma was following him. She tried to feign a bored look, but probably just ended up looking bitchy. Jay only seemed amused, adding to Emma's ire.

They got into the car and Emma was surprised, in a worried way, when Jay didn't put the car into its normal mode of speed – fast – but drove out of the parking lot at a slow, steady pace. _Is he trying to prolong this?_

"So, what's new?" he asked, keeping his eyes locked firmly onto the road ahead and far away from Emma's long, slender legs stretched out in front of her on the passenger side. Emma had the most amazing legs that Jay had ever seen; legs that seemed to go on forever, legs that Jay had once known intimately. God, he missed those legs.

"What's new?" she asked, sarcasm dripping from her words.

Jay finally peeled his eyes away from the road to look in Emma's general direction, still avoiding her eyes. "I was just trying to make conversation."

Emma suddenly felt bad. She was being such a bitch and she wasn't good at it. Some girls have the ability to let their bitchiness define them. Emma was just trying to use anger to get back at Jay, which clearly wasn't working.

"Are you trying to provoke me?" Jay questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Provoke you?"

He smirked and Emma cringed. "You have to admit that fighting has always been our best form of foreplay."

Emma rolled her eyes, making sure Jay noticed the gesture. She crossed her arms and looked out the passenger side window, praying the time would magically pass, and she could be away from him.

"It was just a joke, Greenpeace," he sighed. "Remember jokes? Laughing? Smiling? Anything?"

Emma shot him a deadly glare. "Don't call me Greenpeace!"

Jay shifted in his seat, adjusting his seatbelt several times before reminding, "You used to like it when I called you that."

"I used to like a lot of things."

Jay's smirk widened. "Oh, I know."

Emma tried hard not to react to his seductive voice, its deep huskiness the most alluring sound to Emma's ears. But she couldn't control the red tinge that suddenly appeared on her cheeks. She sneaked a glance at Jay out of the corner of her eye and, seeing his smile, knew he had seen her reaction and was revelling in it.

"Why do you have to do that?" she asked, pointedly.

Now this was the Emma Jay knew and loved. This Emma was to the point and direct. Most girls beat around the bush and play games. Emma Nelson was not that type of girl, and Jay appreciated the quality since he was usually pretty forward himself.

"Do what?" he asked, deciding to play coy.

Emma growled slightly, making Jay have to work hard to keep his smile under wraps. "Why do you always have to make me squirm? It's like you get some kind of perverse pleasure out of making me uncomfortable."

Jay shook his head. "Not like that. I just know things about you, Em. I like that I know things about you that no one else knows. I like that we have our own little secrets."

"Yeah, well forget about those little secrets. We're not together anymore. You don't get to be that way with me now."

"I can always be that way with you," Jay warned, meeting her eyes. They stared at each other for five, long, intimate moments. "As long as you let me."

Jay was pushing her buttons, but he was right. As long as Emma gave him the reactions he craved, he would continue to torture her. She needed to find a way to be oblivious to his charms.

They remained quiet for a few minutes, before Emma decided to open the conversation back up. "You see Manny often?"

Jay cringed, hearing the disdain in Emma's voice. "No."

"Aw, and I was really rooting for you two crazy kids."

Jay nodded his head, his concentration remaining focused on the road ahead and not on Emma. "Okay."

"Okay?" she asked incredulously.

"You were expecting something else?"

Jay knew that Emma wanted some kind of reaction from him and he wasn't willing to give her the one she wanted. He could wallow in his debt to her or he could move forward. After nine months of pining, Jay knew the road to getting Emma back, was not by begging for her forgiveness.

"No, I guess to expect anything more from you would just be a waste of time," Emma commented, hoping her words would bite into Jay's thick skin. But his face remained expressionless, giving nothing away. "Wow, you're getting better at accepting your fate, aren't you?"

"Whatever you say."

Now she was really annoyed. She didn't understand what was happening until she had hauled off and slugged Jay in the arm. He gave her a shocked look and pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"What the hell was that for?" he yelled, unbuckling his seatbelt.

She unbuckled hers, determined to explain away her insane act. "You deserved it!"

"For what?"

"For acting like what I think doesn't matter!"

Jay threw his hands up in the air and groaned loudly. Emma watched him with mild curiosity. She wanted him to react, but this was something else. She wondered just what he would say to her when he finally found his voice.

"I don't know what you want, Emma. If I say I'm sorry, I'm not being sincere. If I act like I don't care, I get slugged in the arm. What the hell do you want?" he said, a definite edge to his overly calm voice.

Emma shrugged. "I don't know," she confessed.

"Well at least that was an honest answer," Jay said quietly. He placed his hands on the steering wheel. "It's not that I don't care and you know that. I just don't wanna fight with you."

"It's what we do best," Emma responded, smiling.

Jay's smirk came back and he turned a seductive look onto Emma. "It's not the thing we do best."

Emma's cheeks coloured and suddenly the air in the small car seemed muggy, even though the air conditioning kept the interior at an optimally cool temperature. The tension hung in the air, making just the simple act of breathing difficult.

Jay leaned forward, reaching for Emma. She suddenly felt completely frozen, like someone had numbed her entire body. She knew that Jay was going to kiss her, but she was powerless to make it stop...

**Hope you like. Stay tuned for Emma's reaction! Will they kiss? What will this mean for Jay and Emma?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi, except for my ideas...**

**Thanks for all the great reviews! I hope I can fulfil everyone's expectations. Enjoy!**

Jay's lips were mere inches from hers when sense finally returned to Emma. She opened her eyes and realized that Jay was about to kiss her. Her body, always the first to betray her, may have wanted Jay to kiss her, but Emma knew that a kiss between her and Jay would never just be a kiss. It was a dangerous opening to something Emma wanted to keep closed.

Jay's lips came closer. Emma raised a shaky hand and covered Jay's mouth with it, using a small amount of force to push his face away from hers.

Jay's eyes flew open and he gave Emma a confused look. "What are you doing?" he mumbled beneath her hand.

She took her hand away and sat up straighter in her seat. She smoothed down her skirt and tried to gain control over her erratic breathing. She'd been about to kiss Jay, the guy she spent the last nine months trying, unsuccessfully, to get over. _What am I thinking?_

"Emma?" Jay pushed, waving a hand in front of her face.

She cleared her throat and looked at Jay. "Can you please take me home?"

Jay thought he sensed fright in her small voice. Was she scared of him or the situation? "Okay, but..."

"No. Take me home now," she ordered, interrupting his speech.

Jay kept a bewildered look plastered onto his face as he buckled his seatbelt and put the car into drive. He pulled out into oncoming traffic, trying to concentrate on the road and not on what had just happened (or didn't happen) with Emma.

He looked over at the lovely young woman sitting beside him and thought she'd never looked more like a child in her life. Her small hands were tangled and writhing together in her lap, nervously. _What is she so afraid of?_

"I didn't mean to..." he started, hoping to explain away the misunderstanding earlier.

But Emma wouldn't let him finish. "Just don't, okay? I really don't want to talk about it."

"About it? Or maybe you just don't want to talk at all?" he accused.

Emma remained silent, hoping her icy attitude would cool Jay down enough to realize that she didn't want anything to do with him. She couldn't have anything to do with him, not even if she wanted to.

"You know, the cold shoulder never really works with me," he announced, just when Emma thought she had won. "I thought you knew that."

Emma sighed loudly and shifted in her seat. _Why is it so damn hot in here?_ "I just want to get home."

"So you can be away from me."

"Fine!" she shouted. "If you want to torture yourself, then fine! I want to get as far away from you as humanly possible! I don't want to be your friend or your fuck buddy or your anything! All I want is for you to be out of my life once and for all! Okay? Happy now?"

Jay nodded his head slowly. Well at least she was showing some kind of emotion! But Jay, being Jay, couldn't give credit where it was due. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Fuck buddy?"

Emma threw her hands up in the air and groaned loudly. "It's like you have this one track, teeny, tiny, little brain that hears something dirty even when there's nothing sordid there."

"Hey, you said fuck buddy, not me."

"Is that all you caught from my tirade?"

Jay smirked and turned to her. "I heard it all, Gree- I mean, Emma. I heard it all."

"Well?"

Jay shrugged his shoulders casually, pulling the car up to the curb in front of Emma's house. He put the car in park and turned to face Emma straight on. "Well, I just don't accept it."

**Hope you like! R & R!!!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi...**

**Thanks once again for the support and great reviews! I'm glad that you're all enjoying this story! Keep reading for more...**

Liberty pretended to swoon, rolling her eyes in the back of their sockets, swaying slightly, and flopping back onto the pillows she had propped behind her back. She clasped her hands to her heart and smiled dreamily.

Emma gave her a weird look. "Are you okay?"

Liberty finally returned to Earth and grinned widely at her friend. "He actually told you that he won't accept that? I hate to be a Jay-supporter, but that has to be the most romantic line I've ever heard."

Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing. Liberty VanZandt was actually saying something nice about Jay Hogart? Had the world gone crazy?

"You hate Jay," Emma reminded, grabbing a pretzel and crunching on it daintily.

Liberty raised a knowing finger and left it hanging in the air. "Correction; I used to hate Jay. You have to admit that since you two hooked up, the man has changed for the better."

Emma knew that what Liberty was saying was true in a roundabout way, but the image of Jay and Manny entangled in sheets put a damper on any nice feelings she may have had for Jay.

"Look, I know that you're still hurt about what happened between Jay and Manny, but I really think you need to access the whole situation," Liberty pointed out. She sat up straighter and positioned herself more comfortably, fluffing the pillows around her. "Jay is completely in love with you, Emma. I still can't wrap my mind around the idea of him throwing everything the two of you had away, for a one-nighter with Manny."

"Manny has certain assets that a lot of guys find attractive," Emma reminded.

Liberty wrinkled her forehead, giving a disgusted look. "Manny Santos may have a great body, but she hasn't got the Emma wit and personality that Jay Hogart loves so much."

"Still doesn't explain why he slept with her."

Liberty didn't want to voice her suspicions, but they still continued to swim around in her head whenever she thought of just how miserable her friend really was. Emma had tried, unsuccessfully, for nine months to forget about Jay and her feelings for him. Throughout their sporadic conversations on-line and over the phone, Liberty knew that Emma was still in love with Jay. Now, hearing Emma's tale of Jay's recent declaration, Liberty guessed he felt the same way. The question was, who was going to break first and how could Liberty help speed up the process?

"I can almost hear the wheels grinding around in that head of yours," Emma joked. "What's up?"

Liberty breathed in deeply. "I just don't think it happened."

"What?"

"Jay and Manny."

Emma sighed heavily, not wanting to relive such a painful moment in history. "I saw it, okay. I saw them together."

"You saw what looked like they were...you know. You didn't actually see them having sex, right?"

Emma closed her eyes tightly, wishing the memory of that night would just fade away.

FLASHBACK

"_Have you seen Jay?" Emma asked Darcy, who was busy snuggling up close to Peter._

_Darcy looked nervous as she pointed to the stairs at the far end of the long, narrow, two storey house._

_Emma gave her a weird look and went off to find her boyfriend. She wished she could have come to Marco's party with Jay, and silently cursed her parents for planning Snake's mother's birthday party on the same night, as she gripped the banister and climbed the old stairs._

_Every door upstairs was open, except for one. Emma made her way down the hallway, checking the open doors first. Why would Jay be up here anyway?_

_She knocked on the closed door and heard Manny's voice come back to her, saying, "Jay! Get your pants on!"_

_Emma turned the glass knob slowly, dropping the plastic cup that had been in her hand, when she saw..._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Emma shook her head, refusing to go there once again. She looked over at Liberty, who was watching her intently. "I saw enough, okay? Any moron would deduce the exact same thing I did."

Liberty rubbed Emma's shoulder supportively. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you relive it yet again. I just think that Jay wouldn't be so stupid. He knew you were coming to that party. Why would he choose that time and place to hook up with your best friend?"

"Ex-best friend," Emma reminded. "It doesn't matter, Liberty. It's over and I couldn't be happier about that."

Liberty smiled at Emma, getting to her feet and grabbing the now empty pretzel bowl. She walked to the stairs, preparing to go the upstairs kitchen for a refill. She turned back to Emma and insisted, "It's not over...not until Jay says it is."

**Enjoy! R&R Please!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi...**

Emma found herself at home the next day, spending a relaxing Saturday with the usually crowded house, all to herself. She stayed in bed until eleven o'clock, the latest she'd indulged in a very long time. As she laid in her double bed, staring at the rafters above her head, she thought about the last time she'd stayed in bed this long.

She stretched her lean body to its fullest length, throwing her arms above her head and smiling to herself. There is, after all, only one real reason to stay in bed past nine o'clock.

FLASHBACK

"_Why are you awake?" Emma asked, moving her body to better see the harsh red light of the digital time on Jay's alarm clock._

_Jay was lying beside her, one arm under his head, staring in her general direction._

"_It's only six in the morning!" Emma scolded. She waved a hand in front of his face. "Earth to Jay! What is up with you?"_

_Jay smiled and rolled over onto his back. He scratched his head nonchalantly before looking over at Emma again. She looked angelic, covered in his white sheets, blond hair splayed across the pillow._

"_Anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" he asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face._

_He liked it when she blushed immediately. It was nice to know he could still make her feel that way. Way too often it happens that immediate reactions fade over time. Never again do people feel that intoxicating glow as they do at the beginning of a relationship. Jay still felt that way about Emma every time he looked at her. Emma, obviously, felt the same._

"_Stop it!" she hissed, but Jay knew she loved it when he said sweet things to her. "You're embarrassing me!"_

_Jay smirked and leaned over her. "You should be more embarrassed about your behaviour last night, Miss Nelson!"_

_Emma bit into her bottom lip and smiled wide. "I can't help it. You make me wild!"_

"_Well let's see how many more times I can tame you before we have to get up!"_

END OF FLASHBACK

Emma blushed again, thinking about just how she and Jay had spent that long, lazy morning. She rolled over reluctantly and peeked at her clock. Time to get up.

She literally rolled herself out of her nest and trudged to the bathroom, grabbing her towel along the way. After a nice, if not extensively long, shower, Emma towel-dried her hair, leaving it to fully dry naturally, and got dressed. She chose a pair of short shorts, reminiscing that someone had once told her that her best asset was her long, slender legs, and a tank top.

She climbed the stairs, lagging a bit, not looking forward to this long day with nothing to occupy her time, other than her thoughts and her memories; her two biggest enemies.

Emma felt her stomach growl and thought about making herself her oldest favourite; a grilled cheese sandwich with pickles on the side. She smiled to herself as she walked into the kitchen, pulling out a frying pan.

Emma's grilled cheese was halfway finished, her pickles cut and waiting on the side of a plate, when the doorbell rang.

She walked to the door, not bothering to check through the front window who was there, and opened it freely, assuming it was probably Liberty, who had wanted to spend one of their last days before work began on Monday tanning and vegging. Wrong!

Jay's eyes scanned the length of Emma's lean, tight body, and he felt himself get hot under the collar.

"What do you want?" Emma asked, her attitude dripping with hatred.

Jay smirked, allowing Emma to see his reaction to her little amount of clothing. "One guess."

Emma swung the door closed, turning back toward the kitchen. She stood in front of the stove, removing her grilled cheese sandwich from its heat source and placing it on the waiting plate. She swung around, preparing to bring her lunch to the front step, when she saw Jay, standing in front of her, leaning against the wall. She screamed and dropped the plate, shattering not only her lunch, but the plate itself.

"Oh!" Jay instinctively coughed, lunging forward to grab Emma. "Sorry."

"What the hell!" Emma exclaimed. She threw her hands up in the air and yelled, "You're breaking and entering now?"

"Technically, just entering," Jay joked.

Emma didn't return his smile, as she bent to pick up the shambles of her stellar lunch and the pieces of the plate. Jay bent down too, obviously to help, but ended up smashing his head into Emma's. She gave him a death glare.

"I'm not making this any better, am I?" he asked.

Emma continued to glare. She stood up to bring the garbage can closer to the mess. Jay helped to pick up Emma's lunch.

When the floor was clean, Emma took out the loaf of bread, ready to begin her lunch anew. She looked up at Jay, standing there, hands shoved deeply into the pockets of his jeans, and offered, "You want?"

He smiled and pulled out a chair from the small table he had once eaten many meals at. "Thanks."

"It doesn't mean anything," she reminded him, seeing his expression. "It's just a sandwich."

"It's probably the nicest you've been to me in a long time."

Emma waved the butter knife at Jay. "Don't make me regret the sandwich."

Jay nodded his head. "I actually came here to give Simpson an update on his car."

Emma raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Never heard of a phone?"

Jay cleared his throat and shifted in the hard, wooden chair. "Got me, Nelson. I was hoping to see you, okay?"

Emma didn't respond. Instead, she turned her back on Jay, preparing the sandwiches; perfectly toasted, cut diagonally, and adorned with a few sliced pickles. She opened the fridge and grabbed a Coke for Jay and a bottle of water for herself.

"I was gonna eat on the front steps. Enjoy the nice weather and all."

Jay grabbed the two plates and swept his arm toward the door, urging Emma to lead the way. They each took a seat on the rickety porch, letting the sun beat down on them as they enjoyed their gourmet lunch and tried not to mention the obvious tension.

"Good sandwich," Jay complimented. "You know your way around the grill."

"It's a grilled cheese, Jay, not lobster."

They sat in silence for several moments before Jay ruined their good time.

He finished his sandwich and pickles, took a long swig from his Coke, and turned his body to fully face Emma's. "I meant what I said the other day. I'm not giving up on this. I just thought you should know."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Thanks for making me regret offering you the sandwich. I'll know better for next time."

Emma got to her feet and gathered the two empty plates. But before she could head to the door, to leave Jay behind, he had lightly gripped Emma by the elbow. She swung around to give him a piece of her mind, but never got the chance. Jay took the plates from Emma, setting them down on the window sill. He gathered Emma into his arms, not giving her a chance to fight him, and laid his lips gently on hers.

Jay was a smooth operator. He knew if he could get Emma to loosen up to him a bit, he'd have no problem getting to the next level. This was the next level. This kiss. The kiss began rather innocently enough, but soon turned heated and desperate. Jay used his tongue to melt Emma's iciness and pry her lips open to him. He thrust his tongue inside of Emma's warm mouth, timidly touching it to hers, urging her to take an active role in the game.

Jay's hands wandered aimlessly through Emma's hair, massaging her scalp just the way he knew she liked it. Emma's hands started out at her sides, refusing to participate in this debauchery, but soon found they couldn't remain flaccid and gravitated to Jay's broad shoulders.

The kiss deepened and Emma found herself unable to control the groan of pleasure that escaped from her throat. Jay smiled into her mouth, happy with the way the situation was going. "Let's go inside," he said, voice husky with passion.

Jay wasn't sure if his gamble was too large, making that request, but was pleasantly surprised when Emma reached behind her, hand on the doorknob, and let them into the house. They crossed the threshold, still joined at the lips, not wanting to separate themselves from the other.

"No one's home?" Jay asked.

Emma brought his face back to hers, shaking her head under the kiss. Jay placed his hands under Emma's firm bottom, lifting her higher. She wound her bare legs around Jay's middle, never once removing her lips from his, as she drank in his passion for her.

They fell onto the waiting sofa, Jay supporting his weight on his elbows, as he kissed Emma wildly, happy to have her beneath him once again. Her hands flew to his shirt, urging it over his head, discarding it somewhere on the living room floor. Next, she worked on the belt around his waist, undoing it skillfully, moving on to the waistband of his jeans.

Jay stared down at Emma, who refused to meet his eyes. _Is this really what she wants?_ He put a hand gently under her chin, tilting it upward, until Emma's eyes met his.

"You okay?" he asked, breathlessly.

She smiled slightly and nodded her hand. Propping herself up, leaning into Jay's chest, Emma yanked her tank top over her head, revealing a lacy, pink bra and cleavage that made Jay want to do nothing for the rest of his life, but make love to this beautiful woman. His hands easily found the waistband of her shorts and undid the waiting zipper. Matching lace panties! _Now this is why I love this woman!_

Jay laid Emma back, slipping the short shorts from her body and discarding them, along with his own pants, onto the hardwood floor. He pressed his excited body against hers, wanting her to know just how much he desired her.

They were kissing again, bodies pressing against each other, wishing the few articles of clothing separating them would fall away. Jay kissed every inch of Emma's face, before trailing down her throat, onto her luscious breasts, before finally falling onto her exceptionally toned abdomen.

Emma lay there, allowing Jay to roam over her body aimlessly. She closed her eyes, revelling in the desire building within her body.

FLASHBACK

_Emma stood in the doorway, eyes darting back and forth between Manny, her so-called best friend, and Jay, her boyfriend. They were in bed, Manny covered with only a sheet, Jay looking dazed and confused._

"_Wh...what the h...hell?" Emma finally choked out._

"_Ohmigod! Jay, it's Emma! Oh God, Emma! I am so sorry," Manny stammered._

_Jay's senses seemed to return, as he sat up and tried to clear his vision. He saw Manny, in a sheet, and then his eyes focused on Emma._

"_I can't believe what I'm seeing," Emma squeaked. "Why?"_

_Manny sat back and made a motion, that Emma could have sworn looked like a nonchalant shrug. Jay got to his feet, weaved, and stepped toward her._

_Emma turned to run away, needing to flee the scene of this heartbreak._

"_Em! Emma, wait!"_

END OF FLASHBACK

"Stop," Emma whispered.

Jay kept kissing Emma's neck, his hand reaching under the band of her lacy panties.

"I said STOP!" Emma yelled, pushing on Jay's chest until he was off of her and had fallen onto the floor.

"What's wrong?" he asked, more than a little confused.

Emma sat up, gathering a blanket around her body and getting to her feet. "Get out!"

"Emma?"

"I said OUT!" she screamed, throwing Jay's shirt at him. "Get your clothes on and get the hell out of here!"

"But we were just..."

Emma allowed one tear to escape from her eye, before swiping it away. "Please, just leave. Please."

Jay saw the desperation and hurt in her eyes and knew that something had happened to make Emma go from ready and willing to cold and scared in a matter of ten seconds. He tugged on his shirt and pants in record time. Before leaving, Jay tried to talk to Emma, to get to the bottom of what had happened, but she simply pointed to the door, giving him no option other than to leave...

**Hope this gives all of you Jemma lovers your fix! Please R&R!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi, but I wish I did...**

**Thanks for all of the great reviews! A special thanks to mmkayerin...you are such a great reviewer and very inspiring! Thanks for the awesome support and I hope I can continue to make this story a great read for you and all of the others!**

Jay leaned back on two legs of the uncomfortable vinyl chair he was seated in, black hat turned backwards, scowl upon his face. He listened as his so-called friends laughed at him, openly making fun of all he had just revealed to them. _Why do I even bother trying to make friends when all they do is stab me in the back the first chance they get?_

"Sorry, man, but it's funny," Spinner joked, trying to hide his obvious smile. "You and Nelson hooking up in the first place is just bizarre. I always thought so."

"Well thanks for speaking up back then, dumb ass!" Jay hollered, adjusting his hat, even though it ended up in the exact same place on his head it had been in before. "And this has nothing to do with whether or not Emma and I make a good couple. Something is going on with her to make her run hot and cold around me all of the time."

Jimmy cleared his throat. Jay shot a look his way, a non-verbal warning to watch what he was about to say. Jimmy liked the challenge and spoke up right away. "You cheated on her with her best friend. It's no mystery why she doesn't want anything to do with you."

Jay let the other two legs of his chair hit the floor as he glared daggers at Jimmy. Sure, Spinner could be called a friend, but Jimmy Brooks wasn't. Jay didn't have to put up with his shit just because he rode around on four wheels!

"No one asked you for opinion, Wheels," Jay shot back.

Jimmy grinned and shook his head. "That's funny, Hood! You think making jokes about the crippled will make Emma take you back? You didn't deserve her in the first place and she'd be downright stupid to take you back now! Go back to your grease pit, fiddle around with you cars, and forget that you were lucky enough to get someone like Emma Nelson to even look in your direction!"

Jay watched Jimmy wheel away and felt like a piece of shit for making jokes about his situation. He looked at Spinner, who was giving him a look.

"What?"

"What is the matter with you, man?" Spinner asked. "Are you challenged or just ignorant?"

Jay shrugged. "A little from column A and a little from column B. What the hell do I care what Jimmy Brooks thinks of me anyway?"

Spinner threw up his hands. "Jimmy and Emma work together, moron! The art gallery? Jimmy's doing a summer apprenticeship there and Emma runs the kids' summer program. They go for lunch all the time! Stupid, much? He's gonna tell her what an ass you were today and that'll be just another reason for her to give you the shaft!"

Jay had no idea that Emma even had a summer job, but smiled to himself, imagining her with all of the little kids, helping them create pieces of 'art' that were no more than paint smudges and balls of clay. It was so Emma and so one of the things Jay loved about her.

It's funny how your priorities just suddenly change one day when you're not even aware of it. Jay had only cared about cars, chicks, and parties. Then everything in his world changed.

FLASHBACK

"_How many kids do you want?" Emma asked, a dreamy look appearing on her flushed face._

_Jay rolled over onto his stomach, groaning along the way. "What kind of talk is that? Especially after what we just did." He leaned up, a scared look on his face. "You're not trying to tell me anything, are you?"_

_Emma giggled and rubbed his tense back. "No. I just like thinking about you and I and our forever."_

"_Our forever has a while before it begins, okay?" _

_Emma pursed her lips together tightly. "I'd start it tomorrow if I could."_

_Jay turned his head, laying it on his arms, looking at the woman he was beginning to love. "Why the rush?"_

_She shrugged. "Don't you ever just want to get on with things?"_

_Jay's face broke into a smirk. "I love getting on with some things!"_

"_Stop it!" she scolded lightly. "I was talking about more than just sex! Don't you ever think about our future?"_

_Jay knew this conversation would come some day. He just wasn't prepared for its timing. Of course he thought about their future. Sometimes, it was all he could think about. But he hadn't even told Emma how he really felt about her. He thought about how he would do it, but having never said those three very important words before, he worried about how it would be received. He figured that Emma loved him too, but like him, she hadn't mentioned it either._

"_Jay?" she asked, touching his arm gently. "I didn't mean to freak you out. I was just talking."_

_Jay rolled to his side, gathering Emma closer to him, smoothing out her tousled hair. "I know that I don't say the things I always should. I know that you probably wonder how I...you know...um..."_

_Emma watched Jay struggle with his words. She smiled and traced her finger down the bridge of his perfect nose. "Feel?"_

_He returned her smile. "Yeah, feel. So, um, just so you know...I...I...I guess I...sort of, love you...or whatever."_

_Emma's smile widened until her lips could stretch no more. "You love me?" Jay nodded his head. "You...love...me! Jay loves Emma!" she shouted._

_Jay laughed. He brought her closer to him until their lips met in the middle, with a soft, gentle kiss; the kiss of first love finally declared. This was the happiest Jay could ever remember being. Maybe Emma was right. Starting tomorrow together seemed like the best option._

"_Two, maybe three," Jay finally voiced._

_Emma gave him a curious look. "Huh?"_

_Jay rolled Emma over, gathering her back to his chest, holding her tightly against him. "I think we should have two, maybe three kids. I want a little girl, with long blond hair like her mom."_

"_And a boy with that sneaky little Hogart smirk."_

"_He'll drive the girls wild."_

"_Well I know what that smirk of yours does to me," Emma confessed. Jay turned Emma around to face him, giving her a wondering look. She leaned in, placing her mouth to his ear. "It makes me hot and a little wet," she whispered naughtily, sending chills through Jay's body._

"_Now what kind of mother has a mouth that dirty?" he asked, kissing her wildly._

"_Your's," she answered, kissing him back._

END OF FLASHBACK

"Snap out of it, man!" Spinner scolded.

"Then help me, Spin," Jay pleaded, suddenly realizing he needed all the aid he could get if he wanted to win Emma back.

Spinner knew just how serious Jay was by the desperate look he bore. Even though Jay was known for being slightly heartless, Spinner didn't doubt that his heart was actually breaking over his separation from Emma.

"Okay, dude. Just don't cry, okay?" Spinner teased. "What you have to do is figure out just what happened between you and Manny. I mean, how can you apologize to Emma and sincerely mean it, if you don't even remember what you did in the first place?"

Jay shook his head. "I don't remember a thing from that night. It's like a total blackout. How do find out exactly what happened without having to talk to Manny?"

"Was anyone else there that night that you remember talking to or being around?" Spinner asked.

A small smile appeared on Jay's face. It grew larger as something came to mind. "Darcy! I remember talking to Darcy that night! I can talk to her and find out if she knows anything!"

Spinner watched Jay grab his car keys and head out the door. He wanted his friend to be happy. A happier Jay was a lot less of an asshole. But Spinner also wondered if sending Jay out to find the truth about that night would help him and his bid to win Emma back, or if it would just end up hurting Emma more than ever before...

**Hope you enjoy! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own my ideas and nothing more...**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you! For all of the people who take time out to review my work, thanks a bunch! **

Darcy thought her eyes were playing tricks on her when she saw Jay Hogart coming toward her. She made an attempt to hide behind a large bookshelf to her right, but it was too late. Jay had already seen her and looked like he was on a mission as he headed straight to her.

"Surprise, surprise! Little Miss Bible works at the library? I can't say I'm shocked!" Jay joked, an edge to his voice that made his teasing seem ominous of something more sinister.

Darcy grit her teeth and tried to remember the passage of Matthew chapter 5, verse 39 from the Bible that mentioned turning the other cheek. "Summer jobs are part of the whole college experience, not that I expect someone who didn't even graduate from high school to get that."

Jay smiled at the auburn-haired girl. He didn't know Darcy that well. Spinner had dated her, but that was bound to fail; Spinner just didn't have Bible-Thumper built in. She had been dating Emma's sloppy seconds, in the form of Peter Stone, but Jay doubted that one would last too much longer either. Girls with personalities like Darcy's shouldn't have bodies that...

_Stay focused, Jay!_

"I need a few minutes of your time," he said pointedly, not bothering to ask.

"I'm busy."

Jay leaned forward on the counter. He lowered his voice and tried to look his meanest. "So get un-busy."

Darcy motioned to another, older lady behind a back shelf, filled with books. "I'm taking my break now, okay, Edna?"

Jay followed Darcy to a back part of the library, filled with old filing cabinets that looked ancient. He wondered what kinds of secrets were held within the metal sides of those cabinets. He also wondered if Darcy could help him uncover a secret mystery of his own.

Darcy sat down at a table and sighed heavily. "How can I help you?"

"You can start by telling me everything you remember from that party at Marco's house last summer," Jay ordered.

Darcy didn't even have a hint of surprise on her face. She'd been waiting for this day, and dreading it ever since. "I was there."

"I know. I do remember seeing you there with Poindexter."

"His name is Peter," Darcy reminded.

"Like I care. What else?"

"Well I remember you breaking Emma's heart that night."

Jay sighed and put his head down on the oak table, letting it make a thick thud of a noise that echoed through the empty room. He raised his head and Darcy was more than a little moved to see the honest melancholy there.

"Okay, look, I know that you think I'm some kind of unfeeling jerk, but what you think of me doesn't matter. All that matters to me is Emma. Now she thinks that I made some kind of conscious choice to hurt her that night. That's not possible. I went to that party completely in love with Emma, excited to see her later on. How can it be that within a few hours, I decide that I'll throw it all away for a roll in the hay with Manny? Explain how that makes any kind of sense, Darcy," Jay pleaded.

Darcy knew at that very moment that the secret she'd been keeping inside of her could no longer be held. She'd misjudged. _Judge not lest ye be judged. _Darcy had wrongly convicted Jay; she'd believed the lies she was told without question. What kind of person does that?

She reached a hand forward and touched Jay's arm. "I think I have something to tell you.

**Sorry for the really short chapter, but stay tuned because things are about to get a whole lot more interesting! What will Jay find out from Darcy? Will it change anything for Emma and Jay and their relationship?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**Hope you enjoy!**

Emma expelled a long breath, as she looked around the small room, covered with slop from the papier mache masks her group of kids had been making all afternoon. This, unfortunately, was also part of Emma's summer job; cleaning up the mess after whatever craft the kids put together that day.

"Looks like you've got your work cut out for you," a voice came from behind.

Emma spun around to offer Jimmy a weak smile. She rolled her eyes. "I think if I had a giant fire hose it would be the easiest way to clean this mess. How was your day?"

"Not bad. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this whole tour thing," he admitted.

Jimmy's job was more about getting to know the art enough to be able to explain it to the tour groups he brought through the museum. It was the perfect job for him, especially given his love of art. Emma could tell just by the twinkle in his eye that he was loving his job, even if it was just for the summer.

"Well I'm glad that you're enjoying your job. Don't get me wrong, I love these kids. I just hate the cleaning up part," Emma laughed. "You really don't have to stick around. I think I'm going to be a while. Besides, Liberty's meeting me here later."

"You and Libs got some big plans for this lovely Friday night?" Jimmy asked, grabbing a wet cloth and wiping down one of the many tables filled with the sticky substance.

Emma smiled wide. "Oh yeah! You know me and Liberty! We are the epitome of party girls! I think we talked about doing dinner and maybe picking up a couple of movies to watch back at her place! Now tell me all about the exciting Friday night that is Jimmy Brooks."

Jimmy wheeled around to the other side of the table, continuing to wipe away the sticky grime that seemed to cover every inch of the room. "Trust me, it's not much more exciting than your plans with Liberty. I was hoping to maybe connect with Ashley."

Emma watched Jimmy lower his eyes as he said Ashley's name. Jimmy and Ashley had their share of ups and downs. They broke up last year, then got back together around graduation time. Then, nearing the end of summer, Ashley had decided to switch her plans for college, and opted to travel to Europe and spend the year with her father. That didn't leave much room for a relationship with a heartbroken Jimmy. But now Ashley was back, apparently for good, and Jimmy couldn't be happier.

"I think Ashley's really lucky," Emma commented with a smile. She touched Jimmy's shoulder as she passed by him to wash out her sticky cloth.

"I hope Ash feels the same way," Jimmy confessed, shyly. "I guess I'm a little scared, you know? To get too close."

"I completely get that."

"Because that's how you feel about Jay?"

Emma nodded her head slowly. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I hate that he can still get to me. It's like, why can't I just put him out of my mind and be done with it?"

"For the same reason I can't do that with Ash. I love her. I always have."

Emma stopped what she was doing and took a seat beside Jimmy, not wanting to tower over him any longer. "I don't want to love him," she whispered.

Jimmy swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to offer Emma a smile. "But you do."

She nodded and lowered her head. When she looked back up, she had tears in her eyes. "It's so painful, Jimmy. To be in love with someone you can't be with."

"So who says you can't be with him?" Jimmy asked, handing her a Kleenex.

"I say. I've tried to forget about what I saw, but I just can't. So I try to forget about all of the great times we had before that, but I can't. So what do I do? How do I move forward?" she asked, practically begging Jimmy to tell her what to do to make this pain go away.

Jimmy couldn't believe what he was about to say, but he said it just the same. It came, sincerely, from the bottom of his heart. "Jay loves you. If you think you're alone in your suffering, you're wrong. I've seen him and he's just as miserable as you. If he didn't care about you, he'd have moved on long ago. Maybe the secret to getting over all of this, is to forgive. We all make mistakes. Maybe Jay has made his and now's the time to move past it. Try to forgive him, Emma."

"Hard to believe you're coming to Jay's defence, although it seems to be going around lately," Emma admitted. "Tell me this, would you be able to forgive Ashley if she slept with Spinner?"

Jimmy shrugged. "I've forgiven Ash for a lot, Emma. And she's forgiven me for a lot too. Sometimes that's what love is all about. Forgiveness."

"And what if I can't find it in my heart to forgive?" she asked, raw emotion on her face.

"Have you tried? Have you tried to forgive as much as you've tried to forget?"

Emma knew that she'd spent her entire time away from here trying to forget all about her feelings for Jay. She'd never entertained the idea of forgiving him, mostly because she just didn't think he deserved it. But maybe Jimmy had a point. All this time, Emma had been torturing herself, trying to put the memories of Jay out of her mind, with very little success. Could forgiving him for his indiscretion be any harder?

"You have memories of good times with Jay, right?" Jimmy asked.

"More than I wish I had," Emma told him honestly. "All in all, Jay and I had a wonderful relationship. Sure, we bickered, but our banter was what brought us together in the first place."

FLASHBACK

_Emma and Manny pulled into the garage slowly. Jay was ahead, leaning against some car, grease covering the overalls he was wearing, black hat turned backwards, as usual. Emma looked over at Manny and asked, "Are you sure about this?"_

"_Am I sure that I want to trust Jay Hogart? No. Am I sure I don't want my father to kill me? Yes. Come on and try to be nice," Manny warned her._

_They got out of the car and Emma realized that since Sean had left town for basic training, she rarely ever saw Jay...not that she was complaining. When they were together, they were usually fighting; it was what they did best._

"_Santos. Greenpeace. What brings you two to the grease pit?" Jay asked, heaving himself off the car and approaching them. He looked past the girls to the car. His face scrunched up as if he was suddenly in pain. "Vehicles like this shouldn't be driven by girls who obviously can't drive."_

_Manny frowned. "Listen, Scum..."_

_Emma stepped forward, dragging Jay to the other side of the garage and cutting Manny off. She spoke quietly to Jay. "This car is more important to Manny's father than Manny herself, okay? Can you fix it?"_

_Jay swallowed the lump lodged in his throat. He didn't mind being this close to Emma, close enough to smell her perfume and shampoo intermingling in the sweet way it did. It was no secret that Jay desired Emma. He probably always had. But she was the property of his best friend, and his friendship with Sean was the only lasting thing in his life. He couldn't ruin that for what would probably never happen with his dream girl._

"_We could work something out," he smirked, wrapping an arm around Emma's shoulders. She shrugged it off and gave him her usual look. He stepped back, holding his hands up in surrender. "Relax, Nelson. I wasn't suggesting anything sordid...at least not with you. I was thinking you might set a little something up between Miss Santos and myself."_

_Emma didn't know why, but she suddenly felt upset. So Jay was interested in Manny. Wasn't everyone? But Jay was kind of hers. He was the guy who always had something to say to her. He was the guy who flashed her those looks that made her knees go weak. Sure, he wasn't someone she'd necessary be with, but she liked the idea that he, maybe, wanted to be with her._

END OF FLASHBACK

Emma had almost forgotten about that. Jay had wanted Manny even back then. Some surprise that he ended up getting exactly what he wanted in the end.

Jimmy's words of wisdom were lost as Emma succumbed to her painful memories. Forgive Jay? No way!

**Sorry, but you have to wait a bit to find out just what happened that fateful night! Please R&R!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi...**

**Okay, so here's the big reveal! Hope you like how this plays out. Story isn't over yet though. How will Emma react? Will Jay and Emma ever patch things up?**

Manny shifted her feet anxiously, shooting impatient looks at the new bartender, trying to prepare the drinks she had ordered with speed and precision. His venture was failing, as Manny was tired of the looks she was getting from her customers who were still waiting for their original orders.

"Can you be any slower?" she finally asked, letting her emotions get the better of her.

"Doing the best I can here," he responded, in a voice that told Manny just where she could take her attitude. "Why don't you go get their food orders first?"

"Hey, Bartender Boy, you just make the drinks, okay?" Manny said sarcastically.

"Santos," came a deep voice behind her.

Manny spun around to be faced with none other than Jay Hogart! Could this day get any worse? "What do you want?"

"We need to talk."

Manny waved her hand around the restaurant. "I'm kind of busy here. Besides, I have nothing to say to you. Now unless you're here to order something, use the door and leave."

Jay took a seat at the bar and smiled at the bartender, who was trying to seem as though he weren't eavesdropping on the conversation in front of him, even though he was. Jay nodded at the guy. "Must be a real bummer having to work with this bit...girl, huh?"

The guy laughed openly, avoiding the death glares that Manny was shooting his way. "What do you want, Jay?" she asked.

"Well if you don't have the time, Santos, I can just sit here with my new friend..."

"Sam," the stranger offered.

"Sam, and shoot the breeze. Maybe Sam might be interested in a few Manny stories from back in the day? Like the one where Manny showed the entire school her boo..."

Manny pointed her finger at Jay, warning him to keep his mouth shut. "I have a break in about fifteen minutes. Meet me at the coffee place across the street then."

Jay got to his feet, smiling at Sam. His face straightened as he looked at Manny. "You'll regret it if you stand me up."

Manny watched Jay walk out of the restaurant and tried to concentrate on her job, but found it difficult. She had expected to see Jay months ago, but he had done everything in his power to avoid any contact with her whatsoever. So why was he here now? Had something changed? Manny worried, but also fought to hold back some joy. Maybe Jay had come around to believing that the sun didn't actually rise and fall with Emma Nelson.

Fifteen minutes later Manny sauntered into the small coffee shop directly across the street from her own place of employment. Jay was sitting with his back to the door. Manny smiled to herself and walked over to Jay, giving him a slight hug from behind, small enough not to give him the chance to bat her away.

"Save the slutty tactics for someone who's interested, Santos," Jay told her pointedly. He leaned forward slightly and whispered, "I'm not."

Manny's smile faded. "Same old Jay. Always trying to be the tough guy. What do you want?"

Jay smirked. "What do I want? What do I want? Let's see. I want you to pay for ruining my life!"

"Ruining your life?" Manny asked. "I'd love to take credit for that, but I can't."

"Does the whole lying thing make you a better actress? Because you have that down pat! Too bad the gig is up!"

Manny raised an eyebrow. "I'm not following."

"Well you never were very quick on the start, were you?" Jay asked, his face contorting and making Manny very nervous. "Cut the shit! I know! I know everything!"

"You'll have to clarify," Manny said, swallowing hard.

"Did you know that the biggest mistake criminals make, is trusting the wrong person?" Jay shot Manny an inquisitive look, hoping it had the desired effect. "Your accomplice sung like a canary."

Manny remained silent, the colour rushing out of her face, leaving her skin pale. Her eyes darted around the room, finally focusing on a random object on the other side of the room. She avoided Jay's eyes at all costs, but that didn't stop him from continuing with his plot.

"I had the weirdest conversation with Darcy. She had some pretty interesting things to tell me about that night, long ago. You know, when you and I got all down and dirty. Wanna know some of the facts?"

Manny shifted in her seat, wishing she could magically disappear from this place, and end up anywhere else but here. Jay just sat, savouring this moment, loving to see Manny squirm as much as she deserved to.

"There was this party at Marco's place. Tons of people, booze, food. But one thing was missing. Emma. She had some party to get to first, but promised me she'd be at Marco's later on. I promised not to get too drunk before she came. And you know what? The funny thing is, I only remember having two, maybe three drinks. Two of those drinks happened to come from you and Darcy. Isn't that a funny coincidence?"

"What? Trying to be nice to Emma's boyfriend?" Manny asked.

Jay's face showed no amusement. "I've been drinking since I was thirteen years old, Santos. No way two or three drinks could ever make me lose control."

"How do you know you lost control?"

"I ended up in bed with you, didn't I?" He revelled in Manny's hurt look, knowing that he had her just where he wanted her to wrap this all up. "Drugging someone and taking advantage of them is a crime, Manny."

"I never drugged you and you can't prove that I did."

Jay pursed his lips together tightly. "I can't prove it, but Darcy watched you put the drugs in my drink. And she'd have no problems telling the authorities that either. If it comes down to that."

Manny got up from her seat, unable to control herself any longer. If Jay thought she was going to be bullied into come kind of confession, he was wrong! Manny Santos was not afraid of Jay's empty threats!

She leaned over the table, her face directly in front of Jay's. "You think this scares me? You've got nothing, Hogart. Nothing!"

Jay grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her around the table, back to her seat. "Sit your ass down. Now!" He kept his voice even so as not to draw attention from the few other patrons in the coffee shop. "You think I want this to come to that? I don't. I just want Emma to know the truth. You remember Emma, your friend? She has a right to know the truth."

"The truth?"

"That I was set up! Don't mess with me, Manny. You will regret it!"

Manny swallowed and hoped Jay didn't mistake the action as a sign of weakness. "Nothing I say will ever make Emma take you back."

Jay shook his head. "That doesn't matter. I just want her to know the truth."

Manny squinted, trying to fight back tears, but her control was weak and the tears flowed anyway. "Why do you love her so much?"

Jay laughed. "If you even have to ask that, you don't really know Emma at all."

"I know all about Emma!" Manny suddenly screamed. "I know that she isn't this perfect little angel that guys fall all over themselves to get close to! I know that she's downright pathetic sometimes! She starves herself and fakes pregnancies and falls for old men on line and gets gonorrhoea! And I also know that she stole you from me! You were supposed to be with me!"

Jay sat there, looking over at the couple ordering their coffees at the counter nearby. He sighed. "Would you keep your voice down?"

"No! I won't! Just like I wouldn't stand by and watch you fall further under her spell without doing something about it!"

"Something like?" Jay prodded, knowing he was about to hear it all, right from the lips of the one who had plotted and planned the whole thing.

Manny smiled wickedly and Jay thought she'd never looked uglier, as she revelled in her mischievous means. "I gave you those drinks, the ones that were drugged. I got Darcy to help me with my plan and all it took was convincing her that you were the wrong person for our precious little Emma. Darcy told you that Emma had arrived at the party and was upstairs waiting for you. You were already flying high by that time and just so happened to stumble into the very room I was in. You barely made it to the bed before you passed out cold, making my job so much easier."

"Your job?"

"I undressed you and made it seem like you and I..."

Jay suddenly felt like everything in his world had just been righted. "We didn't sleep together?" he asked, excitedly.

Manny stared, open-mouthed. "Darcy didn't tell you..."

"Darcy didn't know. I knew it! I knew I could never have done that to Emma! I knew it! And now all you have to do is find what was once a decent person inside of that twisted shell of yours, and tell Emma the truth."

Manny dried her eyes and took a deep breath. Leaning back in her chair, she let the breath out slowly. "Fine. I'll tell Emma what I did. But it won't make a difference. Somehow, Miss High and Mighty will find a way to still make this your fault."

"Well that's not really your concern, now is it?" Jay asked rhetorically. "You just tell Emma exactly what happened. I'll worry about the rest."

Jay got up to leave, but Manny shouted, "Did you ever like me? That whole time when you and I were sort of messing around. Did you ever mean any of it or were you just imagining it was Emma?"

"You are who you are and Emma is who she is. Who'd you rather be with?"

**Love that last line! Please R&R!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi...**

**Thank you once again to all of the wonderful, creative people who have taken the time to review my story! I love reading what you all think and when I get things right in a story, it just makes me want to write more and more and more... So thank you and please, keep reviewing!!**

Emma sat on her front steps, legs stretched out in front of her, leaning back on her arms, letting her face point upward to bask in the sunshine of the beautiful day. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, allowing a smile to spread across her face. Today was such a wonderfully warm and sunny day, how could anyone wear a frown?

But Emma's smile was not to last too long, as she dropped her sunglasses slightly from her eyes, peering over their rims to see Manny Santos strutting her way.

"Emma," Manny pouted, reluctantly stepping onto the familiar step and sitting down beside a shocked and speechless Emma.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked, finding it hard to even get those five words out of her suddenly dry mouth. "Are you lost?"

"I think your house is like a compass. It's something I tend to gravitate to," Manny tried, offering a faint smile.

Emma frowned. "Find somewhere else to 'gravitate' to. I'm not interested in anything you have to offer."

Emma refused to get to her feet. This was her house and she wouldn't be the one to flee. But Manny stayed right where she was sitting, as the two stared off against each other. Emma realized then that Manny didn't come here out of shame for the awful thing she had done to her friend. So why was she here?

"I know that you've written me off and out of your life," Manny began.

"Do you blame me?"

Manny sighed. "No. But I came here to clear up some things that I probably should have talked to you about months ago. I need you to just put aside your hatred for me, just for a while, so that I can say the things I'm here to say. Then I'll go. Okay?"

Emma didn't like the attitude dripping from Manny's words and suddenly wondered where their friendship had taken that fateful turn from great to hate. But she nodded her head and sat there, hands twisting in her lap, scared of what might come from this person's lips and how it could affect her.

"Do you remember when Sean first went away for basic training?" Manny asked.

Emma gave her a weird look. "What does Sean have to do with this?"

"Before he left things were great with you guys. Then he joined the service and went away. You became miserable, remember?"

"Vaguely."

"You and I kind of drifted away from each other a bit. I started hanging out with Darcy more. But when I saw how upset you were over Sean, I really tried to be a good friend to you."

Emma didn't argue, but she told Manny just what she thought of her words by the raising of her eyebrow.

"Then Jay and I started going out."

"You mean you paid Jay to pretend he liked you to get back at your father?" Emma reminded. "Because that's how I remember it."

"Maybe at first. But one night Jay kissed me. I mean, he actually kissed me. And I just realized that I hadn't felt the way I felt when his lips touched mine, since Craig. It might have started out as a phony relationship, but my feelings for him grew to be pretty real."

Emma shifted. "I don't care. You got what you wanted. Take him, and by all means, be happy. Just leave me alone."

Manny shook her head. "I would if I could. The thing is, you suddenly came around, crying because Sean had dumped you. And just as soon as things were starting for Jay and I, they ended. He was all about comforting you. Don't you see? He used me because you weren't available. When you became single, so did I. Jay dropped me like I hadn't mattered at all. And apparently I didn't. Not to either of you. Because you just threw yourself at him."

"That wasn't how it was and you know it!" Emma exclaimed. "I asked you. Before anything happened. I asked you if it was okay. You said you didn't care about Jay. You told me you thought I was crazy for wanting to date him, but to go ahead. If you cared so much, why didn't you just say something?"

"It wouldn't have changed Jay's interest. He wanted to be with you and he made it very clear from the beginning."

"You want me to say that I'm sorry? Okay. I'm sorry. I never knew that you liked him. But none of this changes the fact that I was dating him, Manny. You knew how I felt about Jay and you just didn't care! You saw what you wanted and you took it, regardless of my feelings! If you came here for sympathy, you're not getting any from me!" Emma spat.

Manny leaned back. She hadn't expected that reaction from Emma. She was usually so timid about her feelings. Manny knew this was going to get a whole lot worse before, if ever, it got better.

"I know that I don't deserve your sympathy, and, believe it or not, I'm not looking for it." Manny stopped speaking and took a deep breath, indicating to Emma that there was more to this tirade. When she continued, her voice was shaky. "I probably never would have told you this, but someone brought it to my attention that you have a right to know."

"Look, whatever Jay told you to tell me, I don't want to hear," Emma assured her.

"It actually wasn't Jay. Well it was, but, to be honest, I didn't listen to him. It was Darcy."

"Darcy?" Emma asked, intrigue hanging in the air. "What does she have to do with this."

Darcy and Emma had sort of been friends last year, but after everything that happened between Manny and Jay, the lines were drawn pretty clearly in the sand; Darcy was choosing to side with Manny. So why would Darcy tell Manny to make peace with Emma?

FLASHBACK

"_You lied to me, Manny! I believed that you actually doing all of this for Emma. But that wasn't the case at all! You just wanted Jay for yourself and you didn't care if Emma was hurt in the process. You used me!" Darcy exclaimed, outrage in her voice._

_Manny sighed. Since Jay's visit, she had all but decided to let the cards fall where they may; she wasn't coming clean to Emma about anything. But now she not only had Jay to contend with, but Darcy was having some serious misgivings about her own role in all of this. Manny knew that her conscience would make her crack! _

"_And how is telling Emma all of this going to make her feel any better?" Manny questioned._

_Darcy sighed. "Emma still loves Jay and he still loves her! They could work this out and be happy together...the way they were meant to be!"_

_Manny shook her head. "If I tell Emma, she'll hate me forever. At least now she can think it was some kind of drunken mistake and maybe, one day, she'll forgive me."_

_Darcy rolled her eyes and groaned. "Are you that deluded? Emma is never going to forgive you. But if you tell her the truth, maybe you can finally forgive yourself and move forward. You need to do the right thing here, Manny, if you remember what that is."_

END OF FLASHBACK

"I want you to know that Darcy had very little to do with any of this." Manny swallowed, remembering their earlier conversation, knowing that Darcy herself would approach Emma in the near future. "She thought that by helping me, she was only protecting you."

"I'm not following any of this, Manny. If you have a point, I think you should get to it."

"I wanted Jay to be away from you. It wasn't about hurting you, even though I knew that it would. I just wanted Jay to see that he had other options. I thought that if you two broke up, Jay might look at me for a change. I know now that I was wrong."

Manny looked away as Emma continued to be confused. When her sight focused on Emma again, there were tears present in her eyes. Emma remained solid as a rock. Manny's crocodile tears weren't going to work on her this time. She'd been sucked in by those tears one too many times before.

"I set the whole thing up, Em."

"I...you...you what?" Emma asked, stumbling over her own words.

Manny whispered, "I set it up. I lead you into that room, to see what I wanted you to see."

Emma felt anger boiling her blood, but held it back. She dug her nails into the palms of her hands as she formed them into tiny fists. What she wanted to do with those fists, she'd never say, but Manny would definitely be on the losing end.

"Jay isn't at fault, Em. I am."

Emma shook her head, gritting her teeth as she spoke. "It doesn't change the fact that he did it. He's guilty. You're sick. You two deserve each other."

"You don't understand. Jay wouldn't have come up to that room with me of his own free will."

"So what? So he was drunk? It still doesn't change anything."

"I drugged him!" Manny blurted out.

Emma took a moment to process the words that had poured out of Manny's mouth. When they finally sunk in, Emma opened her two tightened fists, stretching her small hands fully. She looked over at Manny, the girl who had been her best friend since elementary school, and for the life of her, she couldn't remember what she had ever liked about this spiteful girl.

With her right hand spread wide, she lifted it and struck Manny with great force on her cheek. The red print of Emma's hand remained on Manny's face as Emma got up from the step and walked calmly back into her house; a tattoo commemorating the end of what had once been an unbreakable bond.

**Take that Manny! I thought Emma needed to have some sort of justice throughout all of this. I also think it's within her character. Let me know if you think it's too over the edge for our sweet, little Emma. **

**Please R&R!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi...**

**Okay everyone! You asked for it...here it is! The ending to this story has finally come! Enjoy your Jemma!!**

When two weeks went by and Jay still hadn't heard from Emma, he assumed that what Manny had said was true; Emma would still find some way to blame everything that had occurred, on Jay.

So surprise was in order that Saturday afternoon, when Jay was just getting out of the shower at his apartment, and the doorbell rang. He quickly wrapped himself in a towel, not caring that he was dripping wet, and went to answer the door. There stood Emma.

"Hi," she choked out, trying to focus on anything other than Jay's toned, wet body.

"Uh, hi," Jay mimicked. "Sorry. I didn't know it was you."

"I guess I'm probably the last person you were expecting to see."

"Not expecting it, but hoping actually," Jay confessed. He held the door open wider and offered, "You wanna come in?"

Emma smiled at him, finally meeting his eyes, and walked slowly into the apartment. She looked around the place, memories flooding her mind at such an alarmingly fast rate. She felt a pain in her chest and told herself to just relax and breathe. Just being here was so overwhelming!

FLASHBACK

"_I shouldn't be here," Emma sobbed. _

"_You're always welcome here, Nelson," Jay assured her. "It's not much, but it can be whatever you need it to be."_

_Emma managed a small smile. "That's not what I meant. Manny."_

_Jay shrugged. "What about her?"_

"_You and her..." Emma let her voice trail off, knowing that when it came right down to it, the feelings she was experiencing were anything but innocent._

"_There's nothing going on between me and Manny. It was all just a big hoax to piss off her dad."_

_Emma nodded her head. "Then what about Sean?"_

"_You mean the guy who dumped you for some army chick?" Jay questioned. "He made his choice, don't you think?"_

_Emma wiped away a lone tear. Jay looked away, hating that she was still, after all of these weeks, shedding tears for Cameron. When was she going to see the possibilities staring her straight in the face?_

"_Don't you think it's about time to get over it, Nelson?" Jay asked, not meaning for his voice to sound so harsh, but knowing that his frustration was showing._

"_I am over it."_

"_So why are you still crying?"_

"_Because I just realized that I'm over him and...and...it's because...of...it's because of you," she stammered._

_Jay smirked. He leaned toward her and whispered, "Right back at ya," before laying his lips gently onto hers._

END OF FLASHBACK

"If you hang around a bit, I'll go put some clothes on?" Jay offered.

Emma smiled and raised an eyebrow. "I'm not complaining."

Jay smirked, wagging a finger at her. He turned and exited the living room, walking back to his bedroom to change. The excitement he was feeling just having Emma here, reminded him of the first night she had stayed here.

FLASHBACK

"_You brought an overnight bag," Jay laughed. "Got a sleeping bag in there too?"_

_Emma blushed. "A girl needs her essentials," she smiled. "Don't tease."_

_Jay hugged her to his side, kissing the top of her head as he took the bag from her hands. "I tease because I love to see you blush. You're not nervous, are you?"_

_Emma felt her face heat up again and knew her cheeks had coloured. Why she was so nervous was beyond her. It wasn't like she hadn't done this before. But she'd never done this with Jay and she worried that they had built this up to some monumental status that anything less than perfection would leave it lacking. What if she wasn't what Jay wanted?_

"_Emma? Em?" Jay asked, bringing her back to reality. "You have nothing to be nervous about. If you don't want to, we can scrap the whole thing."_

_Emma smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his middle. "I want to. I really want to. I guess I'm just worried that you won't...I don't know...like it."_

_Jay smirked. "It...you will be great! Stop worrying so much and just try to remember that this is supposed to be fun. Besides, I think I have a little something that will make you less tense."_

_Jay led Emma to the back of the apartment, toward his bedroom. The door was closed, but Emma could see a faint, flickering light in the small crack between the bottom of the door and the floor. She looked up at Jay, questioning just what was going on. _

_He cocked an eyebrow at her and said, voice husky and mysterious, "Close your eyes, Nelson."_

_Emma gave him a look, but did as she was told. Jay placed a warm hand over her eyes, making sure she didn't peek, and opened the door. He led Emma into the surprisingly spacious room and took a breath before removing his hand from her face and whispering, "Open your eyes."_

_Emma opened her eyes slowly and gasped. Jay had transformed his usually dingy and cluttered bedroom into a den of seduction, complete with brand new sheets, scattered with pink, red, and white rose petals. For the desired lighting, Jay had opted for candles, their lights flickering, causing shadows to dance around the room. He had moved his stereo into the bedroom, making Emma believe there would be soft music for later. But to top it all off, Jay had removed all of his dirty clothes (which were probably stuffed into the small closet) and left only one article of clothing out; a white, lacy negligee._

_Emma looked over at Jay with a shy, but happy smile. "You did all of this for me?"_

_Jay rolled his eyes. "It's gay, right?"_

_Emma bit into her bottom lip as she flung herself into Jay's arms. She kissed him fully, pressing her body into his. "It's perfect. You even cleaned. I am surprised, Hogart. And very happy."_

_Jay shrugged. "The things a guy will do just to get laid." He smiled crookedly at her. _

"_Really? And this?" she asked, picking up the negligee. "Seems to me this is a little more time consuming, isn't it?"_

_Jay had never done anything like this before. He worried all day that Emma would think he was trying too hard. But he'd never done this with anyone he felt this way about before and he just wanted it all to be perfect, maybe as much for himself as for Emma. Now she was teasing him and he was falling further into her trap._

"_You don't have to wear it."_

_Emma took the piece of lingerie and held it close to her chest. She walked toward the door, stopping before exiting the room. "I'm going to wear this just to see the look on your face when it comes off."_

_Jay watched her leave the room, hips swaying seductively, and swallowed. He sat down on the bed, unable to believe his luck, and for the first time in his short life, he thanked God for bringing him such a wonderful person to love._

END OF FLASHBACK

Jay quietly stood at the entrance to the living room, watching Emma straightening up. He smiled to himself, remembering how she loved to do this when they were together. He liked the idea of having her here and hoped that she was bringing good news with her.

"I honestly don't know how you manage to live without me," Emma scolded.

"It's been hard," Jay admitted. "Does this mean you're thinking about sticking around?"

Emma avoided his eyes as she shrugged. "I can't honestly answer that. Wanna sit?"

Jay nodded and walked to the couch, sitting down. Emma, as usual, sat herself down on the carpet, crossing her legs and looking up at Jay. He frowned and slid off the couch, leaning back against it. "Okay, Nelson. Let's have it."

"I got a little visit from Manny a few weeks ago," Emma started. "She had some stuff to get off her chest."

Jay nodded his head, allowing Emma to take the reigns on this reveal. He remained silent, letting her decide just what she wanted to say and how she wanted to say it.

"I guess I owe you an apology."

"You guess?" Jay asked.

Emma smiled at his joke. "Okay, okay. I do. And I am sorry, especially for the last time you and I were together. I freaked out and probably ended up confusing you. It's just that I've spent so long just wanting you completely out of my life and then, to have you thrust upon me, it's a little overwhelming. I hope you can understand why I had to push you away."

"You think you can't trust me. But now you know that you can," Jay stated simply.

"Not so fast, Hogart. I get that Manny put you into that situation and you had very little, if any, control over the outcome. But it still hurts, knowing that you were with her."

Jay leaned forward, trying to take Emma's hand, but she pulled back. "Didn't Manny tell you?" he asked her.

"She told me that she drugged you. So you were out of it when the two of you..." Emma didn't finish the sentence, unable to even utter the horrible fact.

Jay got to his knees and crawled over to Emma. When he was in front of her, he took her face in his hands and whispered, "I never slept with Manny."

Emma gave him a confused look. "Are you sure?"

He nodded his head, his still wet hair flopping. "She admitted it. We never did anything."

Emma sat there, Jay's warm hands still on her cheeks, staring into eyes that were familiar and safe and loving, and knew that this was where she was meant to be. She smiled slightly, leaning forward and touching her lips to Jay's.

They shared a soft, slow kiss, completely modest, but also full of adoration, the one emotion they had always felt for each other, even if they were trying to hide it. When they finally pulled apart, all either could do was sigh in happiness. Jay rested his forehead against Emma's, breathing in the scent of her, memories flooding through him as he remembered all of the times they had been this close. He wanted this to last forever.

"I love you," he affirmed. "I never stopped."

"Neither did I," Emma confessed. "I tried so hard not to, but I just couldn't stop. Can you forgive me?"

Jay pulled back, letting his arms fall away from Emma. "I don't know. I mean, you've kind of hurt me, Nelson. I am a pretty sensitive guy."

"You gonna make me beg?" she asked, pouting sexily.

Jay was on her in no time flat, kissing her like there was no tomorrow, laying her back onto the carpet so he could have full access to the body he had sorely missed.

"You never said it back," Jay told her, pulling back from her lips.

"Said what?" she asked, pretending not to understand what Jay was implying.

He gave her an exacerbated look. "That you love me too."

"You know I do." Emma kissed him softly.

"I like to hear you say it," Jay confessed, kissing her back.

"I love you."

"Say it again," Jay coaxed seductively, kissing a path down Emma's neck.

"I...love...you," she panted.

**I hope you all enjoyed the story, especially the ending! Thanks to all who faithfully read and reviewed. Our stories and our rampant creativity is what bonds us all together (and I guess our love for Degrassi too)! Keep reading and writing, as will I. **

**Kisses,**

**Kerr**


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